Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-08-07
A CUBAN DUEL.

was a duel that set the queen OF the An
titles agog. On sunday night there was
music in the park, n after dinner an
English lord, a Chicago gambler and l
were strolling TRANQUILITY along in the
starlight when a magniiicently appointed
victoria rose up and q man whom we all
knew jumped u
al was at your hotel he said, raising
his hat amiably, "but you had out gone,
and SO / come here"
''Haw"' said the Englishman, fixing his
glass in his eye and bear,img through it
upon the young Cuban, 'll shuah we're
always glad to see you-!ndeed, we-ah-
we are yawstly indebted TO you already
for 80 many agreeable attentions
Indeed, " said the Cuban, with adepre-
catory wave Of the hand. '1t is | that
am complimented by meeting men of the
world
The gambler nodded to him sagely, and
patted his shoulder with a thin, white
hand, on which giittered a diamond as big
as an acorn. Having passed c~reditably
Through the complimentary stage Of the
conversatiou-an absolute necessity in the
tropics-ye wandered over 70 the big
Louvre cafe. Here the Cuban told us Of
q masked ball that was on that night. As
near as we could make out il was a sort
of half way respectable dance, where one
might expect 10 meet almost anything.
There was always more or less mystery in
our talk, as the Cuban spoke very little
English. He, however, knew some Ger
man-the gambler knew the tongue we'll
and was admirable in French. The Brit
fish nobleman's knowledge Of the language
Of the merry Gaul vas on the same &C.
centric scale as my own, and we all knew
o little Spanish. The talk was COMMONLY,
therefore, a touchirg mixture Of French,
Spanish, German sad English.
"And | rawthcr like il, too, dye
know the Engl shman remarked that
nights 'I-ah-levah really understand
what people are talking about in my W
tongue, and I'm quite shuah no one has
the slightest idea what-ah-what | hap
pen 10 he prat.ug about, though we all
keep up such "a tremendous seeming, you
know. This way 1t doesn't make
There was a sudden movement in the
crowd. a chair was overturned and fell
with "a crash on the floor, and the Cuban
at our table sprang 10 his feet and glared
~savagely at n sallow faced man who stood
twenty feet away with his blazing eyes
fixed on the Cuban's face. Neither man
moved. The space between them was
cleared instantly. and every man in the
room was ON his feet except the nobleman,
the gambler and myself.
''inerr's eOin' t be shootin' ~ muttered
the Chicago man softly.
Looks that way" said the English
mar laconically, as he turned his hand
~. ar.l sn,n.rfy rhalI. fnn. 80 .,u-arl
the stranger When the Cuban jumped
to his feet his hand fell mechanically on
my shoulder, and his grip frightened as he
stared at his foe till | thought his nails
would bore through my coat. Thus he
stood for awhile, and then the statuesque
man across the room was surrounded by
his friends and hurried out. lie went
with his face turned toward us 10 the last.
1t was a brutal face. The Cuban sank in
his seat and lighted a cigarette, the wait
ers moved alertly about and ! rubbed my
shoulder gently.
"Are y armed, m son. asked the
gambler in his soothing voice as he laid
his hand on the young fellows knee.
"No. else I kill him as he stGnd.n
"Well. Wen just z over with you Z
your house till you get in shape, seei I
don't know much, YOU unerstan', but /
come from a corner y the airth where
men take care o. themselves, an | know
tn look II a man that'l shoot. II that
white liyered snipe gets the drop on you,
yer gone"
''GoOd." said the boy-he was but Ell
81 will 20 arm myself, but | 90 alone
else | seem coward. Will join you here
again
We nodded and he left us, while the
gambler watched him closely. Then the
Chicago man twisted about in his seat,
lighted O cigar nervously, moved his big
diamond ring once or twice on his thin
finger, and said in his peculiar, ~insinuat-
ing voice:
''Don't you think I had better go with
him.
We nodded again and he slid out Of the
door and moved hurriedly across to the
park in the direction taken by the young
Cuban. The Englishman pulled himself
together and told me OF the trouble be-
tween our Cuban friend and the sallow
faced man who had glared at him in such
O theatrical manner.
''That chap. " said the lord, with a nod
toward the place where the sallow faced
man had stood, lis one Of the best swords
men in Havana. He is the head Of a fam
fly that's very well known here, and he's
fought a number Of duels both In Paris,
Madrid and at home. He has a surly dis
position, but his skill with the pistol and
Toll has made him more or less famous,
and he is a good deal Of n local hero. He
is consumptiTe and booked for the 'voy-
age within a few years, anyhow, and
A.. ..ap,a Ia kn,. -. II III
His trouble with our friend Tomaso here
is Of less than five hours standing. They
were playing ecarte after breakfast to-
day: there vas some dispute, and the boy
here threw the cards In the duclist's face.
] heard Of IL all In the clubs this after
noon while you were asleep. Several Of
Tomaso's friends have tried to get him
away but the boy has the right spirit,
and he's a good deal more Of an Anglo.
Saxon than most Of the people here. I
rather think that Is the reason that he
followed us 10 the park tonight, and It
was certainly the reason that ] was glad
20 see him when he told me SO. His coun-
trymen are very excitable, and he Is gifted
with n good deal OF GOODNESS. / suppose
he finds us the same way. cannot say
that ! am particularly gratiiied with the
turn affairs have taken, though, for /
rather thought that one Of the three Of US
was booked when that big eyed fire eater
stood glaring at u.s.
We smoked ON TRANQUILITY, waiting the
return 81 TOmaso. do not think either
one Of US felt particularly cheerful, for
there IL an element of uncertainty, not TO
say uneaslncss, abouts IL wien you find
yourself In the situation Of lying around
town IN a strange country near midnight